The present invention relates to portable information processors such as portable computers, etc., and more particularly to a portable information processor including a flexible hinge.
Portable computer devices equipped with a digitizer, e.g. PDAs, are becoming more prevalent and it is generally desirable that they be made as compact as possible, while assuring user friendliness during use.
Based on their knowledge of such devices, the inventors are aware of one type of portable computer including a digitizer in which, the liquid crystal display is disposed in the computer main body thickness portion and the digitizer is disposed in the digitizer thickness portion. The computer main body thickness portion and the digitizer thickness portion are interconnected by a leather cover which also functions as a flexible hinge. The deformation of flexion of the leather cover is utilized so that the computer main body thickness portion and the digitizer thickness portion can be opened with each other and superposed with each other in a wide variety of superposed states.
In the portable computer mentioned above, during use of the digitizer, the digitizer is disposed with its upper surface upward and its lower surface placed on the liquid crystal display, while the liquid crystal display is covered with the digitizer. If power to the liquid crystal display is not shut off in the case where the digitizer is placed on the liquid crystal display being in a non-operative state, wasteful power will be consumed and heat generated will stay in the liquid crystal display. Therefore, when the lower surface of the digitizer is placed on the liquid crystal display, it is desirable that power to the back light of the liquid crystal display be switched off. In addition, in the case where the liquid crystal display is also used as a touch panel, there is a possibility that the pressure of the pen on the digitizer will be transmitted to the touch panel under the digitizer and therefore the touch panel will be operated in error. From the standpoint of preventing this erroneous operation, it is also necessary to switch off power to the touch panel or invalidate inputs to the touch panel during the time that the digitizer is placed on the liquid crystal display.
To detect a superposed state in which the digitizer is superposed on the liquid crystal display, a predetermined sensor, for detecting that the digitizer is positioned over the liquid crystal display, is required. However, because of arbitrariness in folding back or bending the leather cover, the relative position in the superposed-surface direction between the digitizer and the liquid crystal display is not always the same and therefore runout will be caused therebetween. Therefore, in the case of detecting the superposed state of the digitizer and the liquid crystal display by the use of sensors fixed at predetermined positions on the digitizer and the liquid crystal display, there are cases where the superposed state cannot be accurately detected, depending on variations in the relative position in the superposed-surface direction between the digitizer and the liquid crystal display.
The primary object of the present invention, in a portable information processor including first and second stacked portions, interconnected by a deformable member, which can be superposed in stacked form with each other, is to accurately detect the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions in spite of runout in the superposed-surface direction between the first and second stacked portions.
A portable information processor according to a first aspect comprises: first and second stacked portions which can be superposed in stacked form relative to each other; a deformable member connecting the first and second stacked portions, while allowing the first and second stacked portions to be superposed and to be separated in a predetermined range by deforming; a radiation-emitting device and a photodetector provided in one of the first and second stacked portions; a radiation reflection member, provided in either the other stacked portion or the deformable member, for reflecting radiation emitted from the radiation-emitting device, toward the photodetector when the first and second stacked portions go to a predetermined superposed state; and a processing unit for judging, based on incidence of the emitted radiation on the photodetector, whether or not the first and second stacked portions are in the superposed state, and carrying out a predetermined process when judging the first and second stacked portions to be in the superposed state.
The term xe2x80x98portable information processorxe2x80x99 includes at least portable computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) and the like. The aforementioned radiation includes visible light, infrared rays as non-visible light, and microwaves. The deformable member includes every possible member which is deformable, such as an elastic deformable member, a plastically-deformable member, and a flexible member. The deformable member preferably is in the form of a sheet. The flexible member includes a leather member, a cloth member, a fabric member, and a synthetic resin member.
The superposed state of the first and second stacked portions is detected by detecting the incidence of the emitted light of the light-emitting device on the photodetector. Therefore, if the light reflection member has an appropriate area, the emitted light from the light-emitting device is properly incident on the photodetector, even if there is runout in the superposed-surface direction between the first and second stacked portions in the superposed state. Therefore, even if arbitrariness in deformation of the deformable member causes the runout in the superposed-surface direction between the first and second stacked portions in the superposed state, the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions can be accurately detected.
According to the portable information processor of a second aspect, in the portable information processor of the first aspect, each side of the first stacked portion is defined as an upper surface and lower surface, respectively, and the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions includes a first superposed state, in which an upper surface of the first stacked portion is directed to a side opposite from the second stacked portion, and a second superposed state, in which a lower surface of the first stacked portion is directed to a side opposite from the second stacked portion. The deformable member allows both the first and second superposed states by deformation thereof and is connected at its lower surface to the first stacked portion. In the first superposed state, the deformable member is present between the first and second stacked portions. The light reflection member is provided in the deformable member, and the light-emitting device and the photodetector are disposed in the second stacked portion.
When the user uses the first stacked portion, the first stacked portion is superposed on the second stacked portion with its upper surface directed outward, that is, to a side opposite from the second stacked portion. According to the second aspect, the superposed state in which the first stacked portion is superposed on the second stacked portion with its front surface directed outward can be detected.
According to the portable information processor of a third aspect, in the portable information processor of the second aspect the deformable member is constructed of a flexible member which is deformable by flexion thereof.
The flexion of the flexible member includes folding and bending.
According to the portable information processor of a fourth aspect, in the portable information processor of the third aspect the light reflection member is constructed of a flexible light reflection member rigidly attached to the flexible member.
The flexible light reflection member preferably is constructed of a thin aluminum sheet covered with vinyl. In that case the vinyl fulfills a role of protecting the aluminum sheet which is the light reflection surface.
According to the portable information processor of a fifth aspect, in the portable information processor of the third aspect the flexible member is also used as the light reflection member.
As the flexible member itself is the light reflection member, addition of the light reflection member can be omitted.
According to the portable information processor of a sixth aspect, in the portable information processor of the first aspect the light-emitting device generates light which has a predetermined blinking pattern. Whether or not light incident on the photodetector is light emitted from the light-emitting device is judged by judgement of whether a blinking pattern of the incident light on the photodetector coincides with the predetermined blinking pattern.
There are cases where external light other than the light emitted from the light-emitting device is also incident on the photodetector and results in erroneous detection. For this reason, the light from the light-emitting device is generated in a predetermined blinking pattern. When the photodetector receives the predetermined blinking pattern, it is judged that the first and second stacked portions are in a superposed state. In this manner, erroneous detection due to external light can be prevented.
According to the portable information processor of a seventh aspect, in the portable information processor of the first aspect a distance from the light reflection member to the photodetector, on which judgement of the superposed state is based, is varied by varying emission intensity of the light-emitting device, sensitivity of the photodetector, and/or a reflection coefficient of the light reflection member.
If the emission intensity of the light-emitting device, the sensitivity of the photodetector, or the reflection coefficient of the light reflection member is increased, the distance from the first stacked portion to the second stacked portion at the time of judgement of the superposed state, can be increased.
According to the portable information processor of an eighth aspect, in the portable information processors of the second through the fourth aspects the first stacked portion is a digitizer.
According to the portable information processor of a ninth aspect, in the portable information processor of the eighth aspect the second stacked portion is a liquid crystal display with a back light. In the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions where the processing unit performs the predetermined process, the lower surface of the digitizer is superposed on the upper surface of the liquid crystal display with a back light. The processing unit turns off the back light when judging the first and second stacked portion to be in a superposed state.
In the operative state of the digitizer, the digitizer directs its input side, i.e., its upper surface to a side opposite from the liquid crystal display having a back light, while placing its lower surface on the liquid crystal display with a back light. In this state, switching off the back light of the liquid crystal display with a back light can make a contribution to saving energy and also prevent heat from staying in the liquid crystal display with a back light.
According to the portable information processor of a tenth aspect, in the portable information processor of the ninth aspect the second stacked portion is a touch panel. In the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions where the processing unit performs the predetermined process, the lower surface of the digitizer is superposed on the upper surface of the touch panel. The processing unit causes the touch panel to be in a non-operative state when judging the first and second stacked portion to be in a superposed state.
In the operative state of the digitizer, the digitizer is placed on the touch panel. For this reason, there are cases where the pressure of a writing tool to the digitizer is transmitted to the touch panel and causes an erroneous input to the touch panel. When the photodetector detects that the first stacked portion is in the second superposed state, the touch panel is caused to be in a non-operative state, whereby an erroneous input to the touch panel is prevented.
The portable information processor of an eleventh aspect comprises:
first and second stacked portions which can be superposed in stacked form with each other;
a deformable member connecting the first and second stacked portions, while allowing the first and second stacked portions to be superposed and to be separated in a predetermined range by deforming;
a supersonic wave transmitter provided in one of the first and second stacked portions;
a supersonic wave receiver, provided in one of the first and second stacked portions, for receiving supersonic waves, transmitted from the supersonic wave transmitter, and reflected by the other stacked portion or deformable member, when the first and second stacked portions go to a superposed state; and
a processing unit for judging, based on the reception of the supersonic waves from the supersonic wave transmitter to the supersonic wave receiver, whether or not the first and second stacked portions are in the superposed state, and carrying out a predetermined process when judging the first and second stacked portions to be in the superposed state.
Instead of light, the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions can be accurately detected by supersonic waves, in spite of runout in the superposed state. Because supersonic waves are reflected by the other of the first and second stacked portions, or by the deformable member, addition of the reflection member provided in the case of light can be omitted. The second, the third and the sixth through the tenth aspects (where the construction other than the light reflection means is limited) in the case of detecting the superposed state of the first and second stacked portions by the use of light, as they are, can be applied to the eleventh aspect employing supersonic waves. The reflection member provided in the case of light may be added to the eleventh aspect.
The portable information processor of a twelfth aspect comprises:
first and second stacked portions which can be superposed in stacked form with each other;
a deformable member connecting the first and second stacked portions, while allowing the first and second stacked portions to be superposed and to be separated in a predetermined range by deforming;
a light-emitting device provided in one of the first and second stacked portions;
a photodetector, provided in either the other stacked portion or the deformable member, for receiving light emitted from the light-emitting device, when the first and second stacked portions go to a predetermined superposed state; and
a processing unit for judging, based on the light received by the photodetector, whether or not the first and second stacked portions are in the superposed state, and carrying out a predetermined process when judging the first and second stacked portions to be in the superposed state.
While, in the aforementioned first aspect, the light-emitting device and the photodetector are provided in one of the first and second stacked portions, the twelfth aspect provides the light-emitting device and the photodetector in opposition to each other, thereby omitting the light reflection member.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.